the lodger-第38章

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And　then　what　immediately　followed　recalled　to　Mrs。　Bunting；　for　the　first　time；　that　informal　little　country　inquest　of　long　ago。

First　came　the　〃Oyez！　　Oyez！〃　the　old　Norman…French　summons　to　all　whose　business　it　is　to　attend　a　solemn　inquiry　into　the　death　　…　sudden；　unexplained；　terrible　…　of　a　fellow…being。

The　jury　…　there　were　fourteen　of　them　…　all　stood　up　again。　　They　raised　their　hands　and　solemnly　chanted　together　the　curious　words　of　their　oath。

Then　came　a　quick；　informal　exchange　of　sentences　'twixt　the　coroner　and　his　officer。

Yes；　everything　was　in　order。　　The　jury　had　viewed　the　bodies　…　he　quickly　corrected　himself　…　the　body；　for；　technically　speaking；　the　inquest　just　about　to　be　held　only　concerned　one　body。

And　then；　amid　a　silence　so　absolute　that　the　slightest　rustle　could　be　heard　through　the　court；　the　coroner　…　a　clever…looking　gentleman；　though　not　so　old　as　Mrs。　Bunting　thought　he　ought　to　have　been　to　occupy　so　important　a　position　on　so　important　a　day　…　gave　a　little　history；　as　it　were；　of　the　terrible　and　mysterious　Avenger　crimes。

He　spoke　very　dearly；　warming　to　his　work　as　he　went　on。

He　told　them　that　he　had　been　present　at　the　inquest　held　on　one　of　The　Avenger's　former　victims。　　〃I　only　went　through　professional　curiosity；〃　he　threw　in　by　way　of　parenthesis；　〃little　thinking；　gentlemen；　that　the　inquest　on　one　of　these　unhappy　creatures　would　ever　be　held　in　my　court。〃

On　and　on；　he　went；　though　he　had；　in　truth；　but　little　to　say；　and　though　that　little　was　known　to　every　one　of　his　listeners。

Mrs。　Bunting　heard　one　of　the　older　gentlemen　sitting　near　her　whisper　to　another：　〃Drawing　it　out　all　he　can；　that's　what　he's　doing。　　Having　the　time　of　his　life；　evidently！〃　　And　then　the　other　whispered　back；　so　low　that　she　could　only　just　catch　the　words；　〃Aye；　aye。　　But　he's　a　good　chap　…　I　knew　his　father；　we　were　at　school　together。　　Takes　his　job　very　seriously；　you　know　…　he　does　to…day；　at　any　rate。〃

******

She　was　listening　intently；　waiting　for　a　word；　a　sentence；　which　would　relieve　her　hidden　terrors；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　confirm　them。　　But　the　word；　the　sentence；　was　never　uttered。

And　yet；　at　the　very　end　of　his　long　peroration；　the　coroner　did　throw　out　a　hint　which　might　mean　anything　…　or　nothing。

〃I　am　glad　to　say　that　we　hope　to　obtain　such　evidence　to…day　as　will　in　time　lead　to　the　apprehension　of　the　miscreant　who　has　committed；　and　is　still　committing；　these　terrible　crimes。〃

Mrs。　Bunting　stared　uneasily　up　into　the　coroner's　firm；　determined…looking　face。　　What　did　he　mean　by　that？　　Was　there　any　new　evidence　…　evidence　of　which　Joe　Chandler；　for　instance；　was　ignorant？　　And；　as　if　in　answer　to　the　unspoken　question；　her　heart　gave　a　sudden　leap；　for　a　big；　burly　man　had　taken　his　place　in　the　witness…box　…　a　policeman　who　had　not　been　sitting　with　the　other　witnesses。

But　soon　her　uneasy　terror　became　stilled。　　This　witness　was　simply　the　constable　who　had　found　the　first　body。　　In　quick；　business…like　tones　he　described　exactly　what　had　happened　to　him　on　that　cold；　foggy　morning　ten　days　ago。　　He　was　shown　a　plan；　and　he　marked　it　slowly；　carefully；　with　a　thick　finger。　　That　was　the　exact　place　　…　no；　he　was　making　a　mistake　…　that　was　the　place　where　the　other　body　had　lain。　　He　explained　apologetically　that　he　had　got　rather　mixed　up　between　the　two　bodies　…　that　of　Johanna　Cobbett　and　Sophy　Hurtle。

And　then　the　coroner　intervened　authoritatively：　　〃For　the　purpose　of　this　inquiry；〃　he　said；　〃we　must；　I　think；　for　a　moment　consider　the　two　murders　together。〃

After　that；　the　witness　went　on　far　more　comfortably；　and　as　he　proceeded；　in　a　quick　monotone；　the　full　and　deadly　horror　of　The　Avenger's　acts　came　over　Mrs。　Bunting　in　a　great　seething　flood　of　sick　fear　and　…　and；　yes；　remorse。

Up　to　now　she　had　given　very　little　thought　…　if；　indeed；　any　thought　　…　to　the　drink…sodden　victims　of　The　Avenger。　　It　was　he　who　had　filled　her　thoughts；　…　he　and　those　who　were　trying　to　track　him　down。　But　now？　　Now　she　felt　sick　and　sorry　she　had　come　here　to…day。　　She　wondered　if　she　would　ever　be　able　to　get　the　vision　the　policeman's　words　had　conjured　up　out　of　her　mind　…　out　of　her　memory。

And　then　there；　came　an　eager　stir　of　excitement　and　of　attention　throughout　the　whole　court；　for　the　policeman　had　stepped　down　out　of　the　witness…box；　and　one　of　the　women　witnesses　was　being　conducted　to　his　place。

Mrs。　Bunting　looked　with　interest　and　sympathy　at　the　woman；　remembering　how　she　herself　had　trembled　with　fear；　trembled　as　that　poor；　bedraggled；　common…looking　person　was　trembling　now。　　The　woman　had　looked　so　cheerful；　so　…　so　well　pleased　with　herself　till　a　minute　ago；　but　now　she　had　become　very　pale；　and　she　looked　round　her　as　a　hunted　animal　might　have　done。

But　the　coroner　was　very　kind；　very　soothing　and　gentle　in　his　manner；　just　as　that　other　coroner　had　been　when　dealing　with　Ellen　Green　at　the　inquest　on　that　poor　drowned　girl。

After　the　witness　had　repeated　in　a　toneless　voice　the　solemn　words　of　the　oath；　she　began　to　be　taken；　step　by　step；　though　her　story。　At　once　Mrs。　Bunting　realised　that　this　was　the　woman　who　claimed　to　have　seen　The　Avenger　from　her　bedroom　window。　　Gaining　confidence；　as　she　went　on；　the　witness　described　how　she　had　heard　a　long…drawn；　stifled　screech；　and；　aroused　from　deep　sleep；　had　instinctively　jumped　out　of　bed　and　rushed　to　her　window。

The　coroner　looked　down　at　something　lying　on　his　desk。　　〃Let　me　see！　　Here　is　the　plan。　　Yes　…　I　think　I　understand　that　the　house　in　which　you　are　lodging　exactly　faces　the　alley　where　the　two　crimes　were　committed？〃

And　there　arose　a　quick；　futile　discussion。　　The　house　did　not　face　the　alley；　but　the　window　of　the　witness's　bedroom　faced　the　alley。

〃A　distinction　without　a　difference；〃　said　the　coroner　testily。　〃And　now　tell　us　as　clearly　and　quickly　as　you　can　what　you　saw　when　you　looked　out。〃

There　fell　a　dead　silence　on　the　crowded　court。　　And　then　the　woman　broke　out；　speaking　more　volubly　and　firmly　than　she　had　yet　done。　〃I　saw　'im！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　shall　never　forget　it　…　no；　not　till　my　dying　day！〃　　And　she　looked　round　defiantly。

Mrs。　Bunting　suddenly　remembered　a　chat　one　of　the　newspaper　men　had　had　with　a　person　who　slept　under　this　woman's　room。　　That　person　had　unkindly　said　she　felt　sure　that　Lizzie　Cole　had　not　got　up　that　night　…　that　she　had　made　up　the　whole　story。　　She；　the　speaker；　slept　lightly；　and　that　night　had　been　tending　a　sick　child。　　Accordingly；　she　would　have　heard　if　there　had　been　either　the　scream　described　by　Lizzie　Cole；　or　the　sound　of　Lizzie　Cole　jumping　out　of　bed。

〃We　quite　understand　that　you　think　you　saw　the〃　…　the　coroner　hesitated　…　〃the　individual　who　had　just　perpetrated　these　terrible　crimes。　　But　what　we　want　to　have　from　you　is　a　description　of　him。　In　spite　of　the　foggy　atmosphere　about　which　all　are　agreed；　you　say　you　saw　him　distinctly；　walking　along　for　some　yards　below　your　window。　　Now；　please；　try　and　tell　us　what　he　was　like。〃

The　woman　began　twisting　and　untwisting　the　corner　of　a　coloured　handkerchief　she　held　in　her　hand。

〃Let　us　begin　at　the　beginning；〃　said　the　coroner　patiently。　　〃What　sort　of　a　hat　was　this　man　wearing　when　you　saw　him　hurrying　from　the　passage？〃

〃It　was　just　a　black　'at〃　said　the　witness　at　last；　in　a　husky；　rather　anxious　tone。

〃Yes　…　just　a　black　hat。　　And　a　coat　…　were　you　able　to　see　what　sort　of　a　coat　he　was　wearing？〃

〃'E　'adn't　got　no　coat〃　she　said　decidedly。　　〃No　coat　at　all！　　I　remembers　that　very　perticulerly。　　I　thought　it　queer；　as　it　was　so　cold　…　everybody　as　can　wears　some　sort　o'　coat　this　weather！〃

A　juryman　who　had　been　looking　at　a　strip　of　newspaper；　and　apparently　not　attending　at　all　to　what　the　witness　was　saying；　here　jumped　up　and　put　out　his　hand。

〃Yes？〃　the　coroner　turned　to　him。

〃I　just　want　to　say　that　this　'ere　witness　…　if　her　name　is　Lizzie　Cole；　began　by　saying　The　Avenger　was　wearing　a　coat　…　a　big；　heavy　coat。　　I've　got　it　here；　in　this　bit　of　paper。〃

〃I　never　said　so！〃　cried　the　woman　passionately。　　〃I　was　made　to　say　all　those　things　by　the　young　man　what　ca